2,01,634 km Volkswagen Vento 1.6 TDI

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This is Rajeev Lama and I am updating after a long time. To be honest it’s been almost 5-6 years since my introduction to AutocarIndia. Life got busy but whenever I used to get free time I would hit the road and have been drivingMy Vento 1.6 TDI (NL-01H 4200)like crazy for the last 6-7 years and it has never disappointed. I have been doing road trips for 1000 km at a stretch and till date, my car never stopped nor gave me any tantrums or issuesJ.

Like Volkswagen says “only Volkswagen can built Volkswagen” I would say yes they doJ

I have happily covered 2,01,634 kilometers till date on stock clutch, gearbox and the engine which has not been touched at all and trust me all these kilometers are mine meaning solo driving.JThe car still pulls like a dream and the mileage is almost the same.

I have been into two accidents with this car. Once I was doing 140kmph on four lane highway and a bull came from nowhere and that poor chap got hit and lucky me only my bonnet got damaged as I happen to hit him on his belly. He was thrown about 10-15 feet and I don’t know whether he survived or not but I still feel bad when I have to think about it. but I still manage to drive the car till the service station where I was told that my carrier also broke and radiator too has developed some cracks and I need to replace them. I told them to do whatever is necessary and they did the same.

Secondly, on a rainy day I was on the four lane highway doing around 120kmph which was not constructed fully and it had heaps of muds on road on left and on the right side. Somehow, I just happen to go over one and damage my bumperJand the bumper got changed. Beside these nothing serious happened and those two incident never stopped me from hitting the highway.

Other than 15000km interval servicing things that were changed as per the manual I guess were, timing belt at 1,20,000 km (there were no issue with the belt) but I was told that its mandatory at 1,20,000 km to change so I did.

Water pump at around 1,40,000 km as the service guy told me that it’s a wearable part so I need to change so I did that also.

Three ugly scene that actually happed at the service center which I came to know later.

#1 I still remember the odometer reading as 1,38,000 km or somewhere around that, batteryissue came up and it needed replacement which I did. On close inspection, I found out that my battery had been swapped at the service center as the manufacturing year (2010) of the battery and the car manufacturing year (2011) was different and it had a lot of gap (. But since, I was outstation I couldn’t do anything and I was out for quite sometime and I lost the interest to follow up

#2 The other thing that was changed at service center was my engine insulator (I don’t know what it’s called the thing which is on the bonnet) which they replaced with an old torn one taking away my new one.

#3 I had once complained about the rattling sound coming from the engine side and they told me that it’s the steering box issue. And since the car was in warranty I told them to do whatever is necessary and get it sorted. They actually raised the issue but my steering rack was never changed as it was taking time and I had to drive back home. They told me that I could change it next time to which I happily said okay and left. But when I visited the service center for the next servicing, I told them to change my steering box as well but to my utter surprise they told me that its already done and it’s in their system too. I had an argument but I couldn’t prove it. I was really pissed off but I couldn’t do anything as I didn’t have much idea how to follow up.

Apart from these there were many small niggling issues but it just didn’t bother me as I loved the car and its built quality and I had full trust that it would never fail me and it did not even once. From my experience, I found out that it’s not the company that’s at fault but it’s the service engineer/mechanics. I don’t think that they should be called service engineers as they don’t know things properly nor they care for others car. They have this attitude of theirs and they always say “HOJAYEGA” and they tend to break some parts while opening and fitting things.

I need some expert advice as I want to retain the car forever and keep driving. Things that needed to be done now and checked, replaced if I have to any parts so that I can continue to drive with any worries. I will keep updating and thanks for readingJ